Not a Great Conspiracy Theorist, me. That's to say that I generally don't believe in them.

I am convinced though that there was something sufficiently malign going on with the OIl-for-Food scheme that it casts the whole period between Gulf war I and Gulf War II in a different light, and would tranform our understanding of the run up to war were we appreciate things holistically.

This feature about a former UN Oil-for-Food official, Michael Soussan, is revealing in lots of little ways, and some big ones:

'The UN recently claimed it "learned of the 10 per cent kickback scheme only after the end of major combat operations" in 2003.

A lie, said Mr Soussan, recalling the hapless Swedish company that called in 2000, seeking UN help after being asked to pay kickbacks. The Swedes' plea was quickly lost in red tape and inter-office turf wars. After a "Kafka-esque" flurry of internal memos, the Swedes were told to complain to their own government.'